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state of nebraska 
Department of Public Instruction 

LINCOLN 



To the County and City Siipermtetidents , High School Principals and 
Boards of Education: 

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT'S ANNUAL REPORT 

^ ^, ^. „ Under separate cover we are sending to 

Oath — Time of • 4^ ^ + ui i * i 

^.,. _, ^ „ county superintendents blanks for annual 

Filing — Report of , , , , x x, . ^ 

^ ^ TT.- ^ • X • report to be made under oath to this omce. 

Each District in /. ^ , ,j ^ 

_, , This report should be on file, correct, corn- 

Balance 

plete, and in all respects ready for compila- 
tion, on or before August 15. It will be made up almost entirely of 
copies of the annual reports of the several directors, which are due 
the county superintendent's office within ten days after the annual 
meeting. In order to guard against mistakes, omissions, and conse- 
quent delay, it would be well to inspect and verify each director's 
report at the time of its delivery. To this end see: (1) That 
EVERY ITEM IS REPORTED. (2) That TOTAL RECEIPTS bal- 
ance TOTAL EXPENDITURES. (3) That the several items reported 
are consistent with each other. 



l:^ 



CENSUS 






Notice that the CENSUS should be reported 
Padding ^^^^^^j. ^^^^ j^^j^^ "NUMBER OF CHILDREN 

^^ IN THE DISTRICT BETWEEN 5 AND 21 

Census YEARS OF AGE." The corresponding item 

in the annual report of the director should be verified by checking 
.with the director's census report. Do not accept a director's report 
of census unless the same is made under oath. In spite of the care 
exercised in past years by county superintendents in protecting the 
integrity of the school census, some flagrant cases of school census 
padding have been brought to light. One school district was found 
to have padded its school census sixty-seven per cent, reporting over 
1,700 more pupils of school age than were actually found residing 
therein, and receiving from the state s-^hool fund in one year over 
$3,000 to which it was not entitled. The matter was called to the 
attention of this department through the activities of the Commercial 
club of a rival city, with the result that the school district in ques- 
tion enumerated 1,700 fewer persons between the ages of five and 
twenty-one in 1906 than in 1905. County superintendents are here- 
by cautioned to accept no SThool census report from direct^^rs or 
othors authorized to ranke report cf enumeration of pernors of s hool 
age unless such report is made under oath, as provided by law; and 
school census enumerators are hereby warned that no cases of school 
census padding will be tolerated. When it is remembered that ap- 
proximately $7 00,000 annually are distributed among the 7,000 
school districts of the state on the basis of the school population as 
sworn to by the respective census enumerators of said districts, a^d 
by the county superintendents of the ninety counties, in accordance 
with established law, it becomes apparent that this is not a matter to 
be treated lightly, and this department will leave no stones unturned 
in its efforts to bring to justice the class of offenders known as 
"school census padders." It is equally important that no pupils that 
fhould properly be enumerated be omitted from the school census. 
The careless omission of names is as grave an offense as is deliber- 
ate padding. Give to each district that to which it is entitled — no 
more, no less. 

It is the ruling of this department that only 
Non-Residents in ^^^ students of state, private and denomina- 

C4-n^ A T*i*i vit^p oi* 

' _ , tional schools whose parents or legal guard- 

Denominational j^^^g maintain their legal residence in the 

Schools Xot school district in which such state, private or 

Ji,nunieia e denominational school is situated may legally 

be enumerated in such school district. Stating the proposition in- 
versely but concretely, all students of the University of Nebraska 
between the a.ges of five and twenty-one whose parents or legal 
guardians are legal residents o^ .thfe state of Nebraska and of the city 



of Lincoln are entitled to be enumerated in the school district of 
the City of Lincoln. All other students of the University of Ne- 
braska must be enumerated only in the school district where their 
parents or legal guardians maintain their legal residence, and not 
in the school district of the city of Lincoln. The same is true of 
the students in attendance at the state normal schools at Peru and 
Kearney, and at the colleges, private normal schools, and business 
colleges located at Bellevue, Crete, Fremont, Grand Island, Hastings, 
University Place, Wayne, York, and other places. Notice is hereby 
given that a strict compliance with the above ruling is demanded of 
every census enumerator and of every county superintendent in the 
state. This done, every person between the ages of five and twenty- 
one who may legally be enumerated in the school census of. the state 
will be counted once and only once in the distribution of the state's 
school fund. This is law. It is right, and the law and the right 
must prevail in so sacred a matter as the distribution of the state's 
common school fund. 

No person of school age who is an inmate 
[imiates ^ of State ^^ ^ ^^^^^ industrial school or of any state 

Institutions Not institution providing for both the care and 

education of its inmates may legally be enu- 
merated in the school census of any school district. Such persons 
are wards of the state. Their parents or legal guardians having 
surrendered to the state all legal responsibility for their control, 
maintenance and education, the school districts where such parents 
or guardians reside are relieved from the burden of providing school 
privileges for them and therefore have no legal right to the benefits 
arising from enumerating them in their school census. County super- 
intendents will require all census enumerators to eliminate the 
names of all such persons before accepting school census reports. 

"Average Daily Attendance" may be taken 
^ . from the "Term Summary," as recorded in 

^ ' ' the register, or from the duplicate report filed 

Total ^ ' i J? 

with the county superintendent. In all cen- 
sus, enrollment, and attendance statistics, report boys, girls, total. 

part of the district which lies within your 
be taken to report the "Census" of only that 
In the case of a joint district, care should 
county; and the report for such joint district of finances, indebted- 
ness, enrollment, etc., in short, all items except the "census" should, 
to prevent duplication in our tables of statistics, be reported only 
from the county in which the school house is located, or if there 
be no school house in the district, from the county in which the 
director resides. Be careful to designate in what counties each joint 
district is situated, and by what number it is known in each county. 



TAX LEVY, APPORTIONMENT, ETC. 

_, Note that the blank calls for the report 

of School Tax for the past school year, in both 
Ijpvy mills and amount of money. This informa- 

tion may be obtained from the county clerk's records. 

Should any district in your county fail, for 
Apportionment ^^^ reason, to hold the minimum amount of 

school required by section 14, subdivision 2, for that district, be 
sure to note in a letter to this office the reason for such insufficiency 
of school, that, if it furnish a valid excuse, such district may be in- 
cluded in the next apportionment of state school funds to your 
county. 

Make report of "GENERAL STATISTICS" 
^ in figures, and exact. Do not use "some," 

"but few," "nearly all," and such indefinite terms. 

One of the most fruitful sources of error 
in the annual report of the county superin- 
tendent is the practice of copying the original report, which has 
been carefully verified, and forwarding such copy to this office with- 
out verification. While neatness in these reports is very desirable, 
accuracy and completeness are the prime requisites. FILL ALL 
BLANKS, ADD ALL COLUMNS, AND VERIFY ALL RESULTS in 
the copy sent to this office. Reports not complete or not in balance 
will be returned. 



THE FREE HIGH SCHOOL LAW 

A greater appreciation of the importance 
Qualifications ^^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ school law is felt as 

preparation for meeting its requirements are 
High School being made by the schools of the state. The 

primary object of the free high school law was to provide four years 
of free high school privileges to every youth of the state. Seventy- 
five cents per week, the amount provided by law to be paid by the 
district for non-resident high school tuition, is sufficient to pay for 
good high school instruction. Our legislators wisely provided that 
no district shall pay free high school tuition to any but a high school 
of approved standard which can give value received to the district 
paying non-resident tuition. The effect of the application of this 
provision will be that many of our smaller high schools which here- 
tofore have maintained high schools inferior in course of study, 
equipment and teaching force, will provide better instruction for 
their own pupils in order to comply with the requirements of the 
law for admitting non-resident pupils. 



No high school district will be compelled to 

* change its course ol study, increase its teach- 

of JVIcetin*'' 

* mg force or provide better equipment unless 

equi 1 n such district desires to receive non-resident 

pupils under the provisions of the free high school attendance law. 

But the inducement offered to schools which do comply with the 

requirements are such that few if any high schools of the state which 

can do so will fail to meet the requirements. Many high school 

districts have been charging much less than $3 per month, and some 

as low as $1.50 and $1.00 per month tuition for non-resident pupils. 

In addition to the increased financial support coming from the high 

school which meets the requirements of the law, the advantages 

are felt in the attendance of these non-resident pupils acknowledged 

to be a stronger body of pupils, as a class, than the average high 

school student. With proper appreciation of the value of a well 

arranged course of study, of a strong teaching force and of proper 

equipment for the benefit of the pupils of its own district as well as 

for meeting the requirements for admission of non-resident pupils, 

every high school district in the state will meet this requirement if 

possible. 



ence will be strongest in assisting the high 
"^ pose, is the person in authority whose influ- 

^ local inspector of high schools for this pur- 

Supermteiident ^j^^ county suprintendent, who becomes the 

school districts of the county to a proper understanding of the bene- 
fits and regulations of the law and to the means for meeting its 
requirements. A number of county superintendents have already 
visited the high schools of the county, explained the law and have 
induced the school boards to make provision for meeting the 
requirements. We quote here one example as taken from a clip- 
ping of a state paper of May 26. The clipping in part reads as fol- 
lows: "No high school can receive non-resident pupils under the 
new law unless its course of study conforms to the work as outlined 
in the High School Manual. A school carrying nine grades must 
have at least three teachers, one of ten grades at least four teachers 
and one of eleven grades at least two teachers in the high school. 
Greenwood, Eagle, Alvo, Avoca, Nehawka and Union are affected. 
Superintendent Gamble has conferred with the boards at all these 
places with the exception of Nehawka and all of these have arranged 
to meet the requirements, some by employing another teacher and 
others but cutting down one grade from the course of study." The 
school boards of some high school districts are waiting until the 
annual school district meeting when the matter will be presented to 
the voters of the district. Every county superintendent should see 
that the matter is properly understood by such school boards so that 
it may be properly presented at the school district meeting. 



While it will be to the advantage of a 
Hasty Action school district to decide as early as possible 

Unnecessary ^^ order that a sufficient teaching force may 

be engaged, the school district will have until the opening of school 
next fall to make a showing for meeting the requirements of the 
law. Hasty action is not necessary but an acquaintance with the 
requirements and benefits of the law and a knowledge of the needs 
of the district will enable the people of the district to be carefully 
considering the matter and in due time take such action as they 
may choose. Let us each do our part that every qualified student 
may receive the anticipated benefits of the free high school law and 
that every high school district which maintains a course of study, a 
teaching force or equipment which does not conform to the recog- 
nized standard for Nebraska may be stimulated to raise the standard 
of its own school, thereby providing better education for its own 
pupils and a means of higher education for non-resident pupils. 

Eleven and twelve grade schools accredited 
Accredited ^^ ^.j^^ University of Nebraska and nine and 

^"" ten grades approved by the University of Ne- 

Approved Schools braska will be considered as qualified to meet 

the requirements of the free high school attendance law. Since 
entrance credit will be given at the state normal schools and at 
the Nebraska School of Agriculture to graduate of ninth and tenth 
grade schools which are approved by the University of Nebraska 
and since such approval is accepted also as evidence of qualification 
for meeting the requirements of the free high school attendance 
law, it will be to the advantage of all ninth and tenth grade high 
schools to maintain courses of study that will entitle them to ap- 
proval by the University. 

• 
The county superintendent is the sole au- 
Qualiflcations thority for granting certificates admitting a 

*** _ non-resident pupil to the high school under 

the Pupil ^j^g jj.gg j^jgj^ school law. The county super- 

intendent will employ such means as he deems expedient and neces- 
sary for deciding upon the qualifications of pupils who graduate from 
ninth, tenth and eleventh grade schools and desire to continue high 
school work in other districts. He may accept the diploma of gradu- 
ation from the home high school as evidence of qualification or he 
may require pupils to pass examination before receiving the desired 
county certificate for free high school attendance. Every reason- 
able opportunity should be given the pupil to exhibit his qualifica- 
tions for receiving the county certificate for free high school at- 
tendance before the final date of making application by the parent 
or guardian for free high school privileges. In our examination 
for teachers we allow teachers retrials in subjects in which they 
have failed and we appoint special examination dates and places for 



their convenience. We should extend the same privileges to pupils. 
While exercising due care that no pupil unprepared to do high school 
work shall receive a certificate for that purpose, we should exercise 
equal care that no worthy pupil be deprived of the privileges of the 
free high school attendance law. A failure to receive his certifi- 
cate in time for his parent to make application to the county super- 
intendent for free high school privileges debars the pupil from free 
high school attendance next year. This makes the matter of oppor- 
tunity to show his qualifications until the last possible date of much 
more importance to the pupil than it has been heretofore. The 
county superintndent who feels the responsibility of holding in his 
hands the future of these young people will modify any arbitrary 
rulings he may have made under other conditions in order that 
justice may be meted out to all. 



For the purposes of the free high school 
Course of Study j^^ ^^^ Illinois Course of Study for Common 

and Required Schools has been officially adopted for the first 

Branches^ for ^j^j^^ grades of work in the public schools of 

County Eighth Nebraska. The minimum requirement for 

Grade High School graduation from the eighth grade course of 
Certificates study and for receiving county certificates for 

free high school tuition is evidence of completion of the work in the 
following named subjects: Reading, grammar and English composi- 
tion, arithmetic, mental arithmetic, geography, history, physiology, 
writing and spelling. Agriculture, civics, bookkeeping and drawing 
are not required for county certificates granting free high school 
privileges. 

When transfer for school privileges is in 
Where Transfer ^^^^^ under Section 4a, Subdivision 5, School 

for School Laws of Nebraska for 1907, the legal resi- 

Frivileges dence of the parent or guardian for school 

is in Force privileges is the school district to 

which transfer has been made. Where transfer for school 
privileges is in force, high school tuition under the free 
high school law shall be paid by the district to which 
the transfer has been made. The parent or guardian of the pupil 
desiring free high school attendance should make application in 
writing to the county superintendent of the county embracing the 
school district in which said parent or guardian maintains his 
legal residence for school privileges. The transfer law as amended 
by the legislature of 1907 makes the parent or guardian who is 
transferred for school privileges a legal voter in the district to which 
he is transferred. This amendment actually makes the parent or 
guardian a legal resident of the district to which he is transferred. 
Where transfer for school privileges is made across the county line. 



the application for free high school privileges should be made to 
the county superintendent of the county to which the transfer has 
been made. 



SPECIAL EXAMINATIONS 



Special examination for teachers' certifi- 
Program cates may be given at the close of the County 

May Be Institute. The county superintendent may 

Changed vary the regular program of examination to 

suit his needs, but should allow examination in a given subject for 
but one half day. All who want to take a particular subject must 
be required to do so at the same half day's session, or they must be 
required to take the oath provided in Rule 8. The county superin- 
tendent may offer all of the examination on one day, or he may give 
it on two Saturdays in counties where the institute lasts two weeks. 

County superintendents and institute in- 
Must Not structors are urged, as heretofore, to make 
Interfere With ^^^ institute a professional rally and not a 
institute place for cramming for the examination. The 
examinations should not be considered in planning work for the in- 
stitute. They are offered for the convenience of teachers, and will 
save the expense of an extra journey to the county seat. These extra 
examinations are a source of expense to this office, and are 
possibly an annoyance to county superintendents, but the conven- 
ience of the teacher should be decisive. Hence county superintend- 
ents need not give the examination when in their judgment the 
teachers will not be commensurately benefitted. 

Last summer the extra examinations 
^ offered at normal schools cost the state nearly 

a thousand dollars extra, but the saving to 
the teachers who took these examinations, in 
railroad fare alone was nearly fifty times the expense to the state. 
Hence, we shall offer these examinations again, subject to such re- 
strictions as will fully protect the interests of both the teacher and 
the county superintendent. 



SUMMER SCHOOL ATTENDANCE. 



It is recommended that county superintend- 
ents excuse from institute every teacher who 
attends a good summer school for at least six 
weeks. It requires no logic to prove that the 
teacher who does six weeks' work in a good summer school will 



Teachers Excused 

From 

Institute 



gain more strength and teaching power therefrom than the one who 
attends a one or two weelcs' county institute, and that such a 
teacher is entitled to recognition for such attendance by being ex- 
cused from the additional requirement of attending the county in- 
stitute. This department will not sanction any revocation of certifi- 
cates for non-attendance at institute by teachers who attend summer 
school at least six weeks. This ruling would without doubt be up- 
held by the courts. County superintendents as a rule are reasonable 
in such matters, and no refusal to recognize summer school attend- 
ance is anticipated. 



STATE AID FOR WEAK DISTRICTS 

House Roll 356 (sections 14a, 14b, and 

14c, subdivision 2), providing for at least 

seven months of school in all districts, and 
ForcG 

appropriating $50,000 therefor, does not go 

into effect until July 1, and no legal action can be taken in the mat- 
ter before that time. All that is required of weak districts that 
expect to come under the provisions of this law is that they vote, at 
the annual meeting the last Monday in June, to hold at least seven 
months of school the ensuing year and also vote school taxes in an 
amount equal to 25 miles on the dollar of assessed valuation. All 
districts doing this and conducting their affairs in the proper man- 
ner as provided by law, will, upon proper evidence of the same, and 
upon proof of their right to state aid under this act, be permitted 
to receive such aid. 

Permit me to announce that H. R. 3 56 was 

ivision ^^^ enacted for the purpose of encouraging 

.** . the formation of new districts, and this de- 

Districts partment will hold that any attempt to form 

new districts for the purpose of securing state aid under this act 

would be an illegal procedure, fraudulent on its face. 

(In due time a bulletin will be issued giving the law, and rules 
and regulations relative thereto.) 



SCHOOL LAWS FOR 1907 



By express prepaid there will be shipped 

ipmen ^j^^^ week to every county superintendent in 

the state a sufficient number of copies of the new School Laws to 

supply one to each school district. These should be promptly mailed 

out so they may be in the hands of the directors a suflicient length of 



time before the annual meeting. We liave already mailed to each 
county superintendent and to each town and city superintendent or 
principal and secretary of board of education in the state a copy of 
said laws. 

The following shows subdivisions and sec- 
New Laws tions where each of the new laws passed by 

How Found ^^^ ^^^^ legislature may be found: 

S. F. 217, Free High School Law — Sections 5-8c, Subdivision VI. 

H. R. 2 47, Normal Training in High Schools — Sections 24-31, Sub- 
division XIII. 

H. R. 356, State Aid to Enable Weak Districts to Have at Least 
Seven Months of School — Sections 14a-14c, Subdivision II. 

S. F. 22 6, Repeal of the State School Tax — Eliminated Section 1, 
Subdivision XI, S. L. 1905. Does not appear in S. L. 1907. 

S. F. 232, Junior Normal Schools — Sections 20-23, Subdivision 
XIII. 

H. R. 72, School Libraries — Sections 11-13, Subdivision XVIIl. 

S. F. 2 67, Institutions Authoi'ized to Grant Teachers' Certificates — 
Sections la, lb, 6, 7, 8, and 9, Subdivision IX. 

S. F. 259, State Normal Entrance Requirements — Section 16, Sub- 
division XIII. 

S. F, 270, School Tax Levy in Joint Districts — Sections lib and 
lie. Subdivision II. 

S. F. 309, Vote in District to Which Transferred — Last paragraph 
section 4a, Subdivision V. 

S. F. 50, Compulsory Education Law Amended for City and Met- 
ropolitan City School Districts — Section 1, Subdivision VXI. 

H. R. 429, School District Boundaries in Districts Having Three 
Sections or Less — Section 4a, Subdivision I. 

S. F. 178, School District Bonds in Districts Having 150 or More 
Children of School Age — Section 5, Subdivision XV. 

H. R. 221, Condemnation of Ground for Schoolhouse Site, and 
Right of Eminent Domain for City Districts — Sections 1-4, Subdivi- 
sion XII. 

S. F. 151, Time for Holding County Institute — Section 1, Subdi- 
vision X. 

S. F. 376, County High School — Sections 20-35, Subdivision VI. 

H. R. 115, Dissolution of School District — Section 2 5, Subdivi- 
sion I. 

June 6, 1907. J. L. McBRIEN, State Superintendent. 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



021 289 198 8 \ 



